The Sweetest Sound JazzxFalsetto
by Fyreborne
Summary: Now that the battles played out, since the ressurection of Claves, Jazz is still left with a tricky choice. That is, if one of the two sneaky love rivals doesn't settle the decision with the edge of a knife. Eventual JazzxFalsetto.


"I just wanted to personally thank you, Falsetto. You were essential in the fight against Count Waltz and his cohorts. We couldn't have done it without you."

I looked into his deep brown eyes, staring so seriously, and I couldn't help but laugh at his tone.

"Jazz…" I giggled "You don't have to talk to me like that, we're friends…"

Jazz sighed "OK, I guess I just thought it was the right thing… and… well, I thought you needed some form of recognition." Out of his desk drawer, he pulled a badge. It was small and silver. It was more of a token than a medal, and it carried the symbol of Andantino. It was sleek and official, yet so… pretty…

"Th-thank you Jazz."

I had not expected anything like this. I had not expected anything from joining Andantino, except perhaps a chance to bring peace to the world. Even then, I was unsure we could actually achieve it. At the end, it was so close and suddenly we were on the edge of success. And I helped fight really hard, but all the time I was fighting a double battle. A battle for peace… and a battle for him.

I looked hard at Jazz, who was smiling at my own appreciative smile.

"I suppose I'll call it the Andantino badge of honour." He paused "I know we're friends, Falsetto, but I still respect you as a… colleague… I guess... and the rest of Andante must see that too."

"And you wanted to be that little bit official about it, I'm thinking?"

He smiled and nodded gently as I attached it to my jacket.

"I appreciate it, Jazz. I really do."

We had been through a lot of unusual things on that trip. But I was glad I had eventually come back to fight with Jazz and the others, rather than mourning my losses self-obsessively. A thought crossed my mind.

"Jazz?"

He looked serious "Yes, Falsetto?"

"Am I..." I hesitated, unsure of what his reaction could be. "Is it only me you're… giving one of these to."

He turned his face away, completely aware of what I meant.

"I assume you're referring to Claves?"

I nodded.

He sighed and looked at me. From my display of emotion when I met up with the team again, he was fully aware of my feelings for him. Maybe he didn't know the specifics, how continuous and deep they were, but he knew they were there. And he knew of my envy of Claves. I decided to continue on my affirmation.

"It's just… after we resurrected her… she did fight with us after all so… well I thought maybe…"

I blushed and looked down at the badge. Seeing this, Jazz got up and went to stand by his window.

He didn't look at me, but he spoke.

"Good people can often end up in bad situations. And it doesn't necessarily reflect on them. Even if it reflects on who they used to be. But, I have only given a badge to you Falsetto. Because irregardless of my personal opinion of Claves, she was once a spy. And I cannot condone that her actions were overall beneficial to Andantino, no matter how nice of a person she is."

He continued to stare out of the window, and I was aware that now would be the optimum time to leave.  
"I'm sorry for asking…" I pushed my chair back sheepishly. As I headed for the door, I felt the need to ask one more question, even though I knew there was potential for me to get hurt by the answer.

"Are the two of you… back together… yet?"

He hesitated. "I have to think about it."

I nodded and opened the door, closing it again quietly.

I supposed Jazz did have a lot to think about before accepting Claves back. Although her unfair death had earned Jazz's forgiveness, I knew the fact that she had betrayed him by being a spy was still on his mind. I sighed, knowing that in all likelihood they would be back together soon. As I headed down the hallway from Jazz's room, I was almost at the stairs when I heard a voice from the doorway of a room nearby.

"Falsetto?"

I turned to see her standing there, in the file room, hand on one hip. She smiled at me, her long pink hair semi-covering the file she was holding. Surprisingly, she placed it on one of the counters in the room and stepped out towards me.

"How've you been?" she asked.

I smiled a little and shrugged. "Ok" was all I could manage to say.

Since her resurrection, we hadn't had much opportunity to speak. I had made my peace with her death I suppose- or at the very least, I had gained the idea that although still blocking my desired present, we would not see each other again. As I stared, her eyes met mine in a way which left me uneasy, and I turned away quickly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her stare in the direction from which I had come, and then back at me. She swallowed, her breathing filled with the same kind of sick worry as I had felt when she had greeted me. "So… what have you been up to?" she trilled, her speech suddenly a higher trill than it had been a few seconds previously.

"Oh…" I stuttered "Um… you know… it's been quite quiet since we defeated Count Waltz and… you know, all the other stuff… so… I've mainly been resting."

Her eyes narrowed further."I see."

Silence lingered in the air between us, and I gave a weak smile, trying to stifle the awkwardness.

"Anyway" I said "I guess I better be off." I shuffled away, not making eye contact, but I'd barely made it a few paces towards the staircase when she spoke.

"What were you doing in Jazz's room?"

I swallowed, turning to face her nonchalantly.

"Oh, we were just talking about the success of the battle and stuff" I could feel my face turning red. Not that I'd actually done anything wrong, but Claves was almost certain to think that way.

"Liar." She said, in a matter of fact way, moving towards me

"Look, Claves… I think I know what you're implying but… nothing is going on with me and Jazz..."

I looked her in the eyes as I said it, and when I did I could see a genuine look of hurt on her face. And it killed me.

"Claves, you have every right to be suspicious…"

She nodded, looking at her feet.

"… I mean, you know how I feel about Jazz. But I swear, no matter how much I'd like there to be something between us, there isn't. He picked you before. And he'll pick you again."

She looked at me again, seemingly taking in what I was saying, but she still looked worried.

"How can I trust you?"

"You… you don't have to believe me, but you can ask Jazz yourself… if you-" I trailed off as she reached out a hand to touch the shining silver pin on my jacket.

"What's this?" she asked, her face inches away.

"Oh… it's just…" I didn't think I should tell the truth about what it was, but I wasn't sure what else I could say that would sound convincing.

"Is it from Jazz?"

"What?" I smiled "No, of course not, it's just something I found in my old jewellery box… kind of pretty, so I thought I'd wear it."

"You… you're lying, Falsetto." She spoke in a voice that was almost devoid of emotion, yet gave the indication she might break down and cry at any moment.

"No… Claves… I…"

"I can't trust you" she whispered "And I can't trust what else you might've been doing."

"Cla-"

"So I have to…" she looked at me and I saw her on her face the way her mind was switching. "All along I protected you Falsetto. But you betray me."  
"I didn't-"

She pulled out her dagger and my breath froze.

"Claves… I…"

"Shut up" she hissed uncharacteristically… and then she lunged.

I dodged, the blade making a tiny cut on the arm of my jacket.

Before she got the chance to strike again, I ran towards the staircase. This was insane. Claves wasn't like this. I couldn't fight her back… Jazz would kill me… and I didn't really want to hurt her.

On the other hand I didn't want a dagger through my chest. I kept running down the staircase and she followed me, both of us fast. As I got to the last few steps I jumped forward, aiming for the nearest door out to the courtyard. I turned back and Claves was still pursuing me, her eyes crazy with jealousy, and wet with angry tears. I ran a little more, but as I was almost at the door, I felt a sharp tug as she pulled hard on the long tails of my coat, bringing me crashing backwards onto the floor. She tried to pin me down, but forgot that I was stronger. I threw her off and yanked open the nearby door, running into the corridor where I knew a guard would be.

I stopped, panting, and yelled at him frantically.

"Get Jazz!" I called.

He seemed confused until Claves came crashing through the same doorway, dagger still raised.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" I yelled again "GET HIM!"

Suddenly she got me against a wall and held the dagger to my throat. I thought about struggling, but any sudden movements could send that knife right through my jugular.

"Claves" I panted "You don't have to do this"

"Yes" her eyes dripped a little more "I do."

"No! I urged "Claves, Jazz could've gone out with me at any point. I've known him for years. But he wanted you. He went out with you." She seemed to take a few seconds contemplating this, then, to my relief, she drew the dagger away. I stayed against the wall, panting, as she stepped away.

"Nothing's going on with the two of you?"

I shook my head as I stepped away from the wall. "Nothing. I think he loves you, Claves."

This seemed to make her stare at me again. "N… no…" she stuttered.

"What?"

"Every day… I told him that I loved him… and he would kiss me back… but he never… he never said…"

"T-take it easy, Claves, I'm sure-"

"NO!" she yelled "It's you! It's all you! The way he looks at you… it just…"

I had no time to react, suddenly feeling the searing pain as she slashed a neat cut right across my stomach.

I clutched hard. "Claves!" I tried to reach out through the pain, grabbing her arms as she aimed for my neck, my chest, my face, stopping her doing any further damage as best I could.

"Stop!" I yelled, but she ignored me. She was suddenly drawing back, to try and pierce through my chest. I felt sick from the slash to the stomach, and I suddenly knew that I had to do something. Although I was weaponless, I kicked her back a little. She looked a little surprised at my sudden turn from taking the hits to hitting back. I raised my fist with anger, ready to try to knock her as hard as possible, but as I did, a sudden shout came from behind me

"Falsetto! What are you doing?"

Distracted, I turned to see Jazz, who was running up to us. In my moment of unguardedness, I suddenly felt a sickening pain on one side of my back, and yelled out in pain as Clave's dagger pierced my skin.

Dizzy, and feeling blood fill my lungs, I swayed a little, and then fell to the floor, only seeing a glimpse of Claves running up to Jazz and her shrill voice ringing out:

"She just… attacked me out of nowhere Jazz"

It was then that everything swirled into black…

_She killed me_, I thought.

_SHE KILLED ME SHE KILLED ME SHE KILLED ME!_


End file.
